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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29217585">A question of curiosity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenFurther/pseuds/FallenFurther'>FallenFurther</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>FabFiveFebruary 2021 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Thunderbirds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Escape, Explosions, FABFiveFeb, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Trapped, Tumblr, Tumblr Prompt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:08:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,162</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29217585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenFurther/pseuds/FallenFurther</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for Gumnut's FabFiveFebruary challenge. <br/>Week one: John <br/>Prompt used: "What is that?"</p><p>John is on a massive rescue with his brothers and he's been assigned a group to rescue. When so much has already gone wrong, it's just his luck that it continues to go that way. It's up to John to keep his head and keep his young rescuees safe, despite the circumstances.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>FabFiveFebruary 2021 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A question of curiosity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What is that?”</p><p>It was a question that echoed through everyone’s life and John’s was no exception. He’d spoken it himself as a boy, to his father and mother as he had questioned the world around him. It was how he had learnt about the planets on a camping trip, pointing up at the extra bright point he hadn’t seen before. His father had pulled him close and showed him the sky. Facts about galaxies, blackholes and the endlessness of space were whispered into his ear. John had gotten home from that trip with a new energy, and dived into researching more, finding vast amounts of information and pictures to back up what his father had spoken. It had become a passion that was still burning brightly within him. </p><p>It was a question he’d heard many times from his younger siblings. A small Gordon pointing at every creature in the tanks at the aquarium and demanding to know more. John couldn’t supply the information his brother requested, and the question was repeated on multiple occasions, much to John’s annoyance. It was an understatement to say John had been relieved when Gordon had started to be the answerer of that question. His younger brother, having acquired knowledge beyond the displays at the aquarium, would answer the question when it came from one the younger patrons of the centre. </p><p>Alan had spoken the question too, though more often to Gordon, who would cheerfully lie to scare his younger brother. John would roll his eyes and tell Alan not to listen and correct the misinformation Gordon seemed intent of spreading. Though John’s favourite time to hear it was at the space centre. Alan would wonder up to John, point and ask the question, “What’s that?”, knowing his big brother had all the answers and more. It had been a joy to teach Alan. Seeing his little brother’s blue eyes light up as he shared his passion. Their love of space bonded them. </p><p>He’d heard it many a time in his life, from university, to astronaut training, to international conferences. Adults and children alike would say those words. It was a mixed bag, sometimes bringing him dread, other times it filled him with excitement. On rescues, it could go either way. Today, it went against him. </p><p>*****</p><p>The freak gas explosions had occurred in the built-up part of the town and had resulted in significant structural damage and had trapped many. John had been sent to a day care centre where there were weak, but stable life signs. It was believed the small group had become trapped as they hadn’t moved, and with his brothers attending to the more dire situations, it was John who had been sent to see if he could help. Grandma was his coordinator, and it was some comfort to hear her voice over the comm as he navigated the dimly lit corridors. Slipping out his data pad, he checked the directions he’d been given. A quick glance and he was off down the next corridor, until he was halted by a large blockage. Peering through, he could see the door leading to where the group were stuck. It was going to be a tight squeeze, but John believed he could get through the gap. He placed his hands on one of the beams and slowly guided his body up and around, contorting slightly to fit. His baldric caught, raining dust over him, but he managed to unhook it and wiggle through. Now he just had to get the door open. In the light of his torch, he spotted eyes peering through the glass. Ducking under the rubble that was leaning against the door, John tried to see through the glass into the room. With the light above his head, he could make out seven small people in a room that had half collapsed. Scanning, it appeared to be a classroom, but there was no adult in sight. Alarm bells were ringing in John’s head. The weak life signs had been children. Gesturing through the glass, John tried to get them to stand back. </p><p>“Step away from the door. Stand back. I’m going to try come in.”</p><p>When they had moved far enough away, he took out the small laser cutter he’d stashed in a pouch. It was green to match the Thunderbird it belonged to. Kneeling down, he cut away at the bottom of the door, hoping the children were still standing back. Once done, he pocketed the laser and twisted to brace himself with his foot against the wood. Two firm kicks and the panel gave way, allowing John to crawl into the room. Seven scared faces winced in his light. Securing it to his baldric, John grabbed the medical scanner from closed the gap between him and the children. </p><p>“I’m just going to scan you to make sure you are all okay before I get you out of here.”</p><p>The youngsters swarmed him, two hugging him tight as tears fell from their eyes. It had been a few hours since the first explosions and these poor children had been alone since then. John pulled the girl that was hugging him into his arms. She sobbed into his neck as he hugged her with one hand and scanner her with the other. He rubbed her back for a few moments before delicately prying her off. Gazing into the brown eyes, he spoke softly. </p><p>“I need to give the others a hug now. Will you be brave and stand to the side for me?”</p><p>Her lip quivered and a tear fell as she nodded. </p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>John placed her on his feet, before giving each child the hug and scan treatment. Grandma chimed in over the comm, making all the children jump in fright. She gave John the all-clear and he was relieved to know they were all physically fine. Swapping the medical scanner for the general one, John scanned the rubble on the other side of the room. The readings were transmitted to his data pad, which he slipped out. The children crowded around him, a couple putting their hands against his legs. The readings confirmed his fears. There had been more people in the room, and they were beyond his help. The information would be passed on to the recovery crew. John sighed before looking down on his rescuees. He needed to stay positive for them. They had seen enough for one day. </p><p>“Alright, I’m going to need you all to listen carefully.”</p><p>Seven sets of eyes shone at him in the torchlight. It was going to be tough evacuating them alone. He would have to go slow and knew there was no way he could take them back the way he had come. John had taken the quickest route and it just wasn’t safe for them. </p><p>“We are going to duck through the gap I made in the door, one by one. I’ll go first and then you will all follow. It is very important that we stay together. I need you all to stay close to me.”</p><p>John placed his hand on the nearest shoulder. It was time to go. Hands released him as he moved towards the door. He crawled through on his hands and knees, and once through turned to start encouraging them through. However, he didn’t need to as they were already shuffling through the gap into the corridor. Standing, John counted heads until he got to seven. One of the girls grabbed his left hand. John gave it a squeeze. </p><p>“Everyone, follow me.”</p><p>John led them down the corridor that wasn’t blocked. It was deceptively tidy, showing no evidence of the destruction that had happened. With his free hand, he tapped the International Rescue logo on his baldric. </p><p>“Grandma, I have the seven children and I need the safest route out of this building.”</p><p>There was a pause. </p><p>“Mrs Tracy is unavailable right now, John. However, I have assessed the data and plotted a possible route. It has been sent to your data pad.”</p><p>John slipped out the tablet and the new route was displayed. Two red sections flashed. </p><p>“The two red areas contain rubble, however due to the level of damage I believe they should be passable.”</p><p>“Thank you for the warning, EOS.”</p><p>The corridor led to a locked door that they were meant to go through, but a quick zap with the laser cutter destroyed the mechanism so they continued their exit. It was slow going, but the path was relatively safe, and the children were handling it well. John checked on them regularly, counting heads when they weren’t all in sight. Four had paired off, holding hands as they walked, one had taken the little girl’s other hand and the smallest was holding on to his tablet’s pocket. </p><p>They came up to the first red area, and John was taken back by the sight. The ‘passable rubble’ was actually a hole in the wall between two buildings, created by one of the gas explosions. Debris had been blown into the nursey room. John tried to direct the light away from the bodies he could see. He knelt down and gathered his charges. </p><p>“We need to go through that hole, but it is very dangerous. I’m going to carry you over one by one and leave you on the other side. I need you all to be very brave, but I am not going to leave you behind. I will come back for you. Is anyone feeling extra brave right now?”</p><p>The tallest boy of the group raised his hand slowly, and John gave him a smile.</p><p>“What’s your name?”</p><p>“Benjamin.” </p><p>“Hello Benjamin. We are going to go through first and you will be left on your own for a few minutes as I come back to get one of your friends. You’ll be perfectly fine.”</p><p>Benjamin nodded nervously. John reached over and picked him up. Adjusting the boy’s weight and making sure he didn’t obscure the light, John carried him over to the hole. The uneven rubble made balancing difficult, but John was slow, careful and deliberate in his foot placement. Once over, he placed Benjamin down and pulled the spare light out of his baldric. There was no need to leave the boy on the faint green glow of the emergency light. </p><p>“Can you keep this safe for me Benjamin?”</p><p>“Yes, sir.”</p><p>“You can call me John.”</p><p>“Yes, John.”</p><p>John smiled at the boy, before turning to scramble over the rubble to join the rest of the children. He carried them over, one by one, trying to keep to the same path. There were a few stumbles, but John managed to stay on his feet despite not being able to use his arms to counterbalance. The last two children refused to be separated. Their hands were interlocked like they were made of Velcro. John sympathised with them, understanding their hesitation, and accepting the risks. He picked up the smaller one and took the hand of the other, guiding the child to the rubble. It was even slower going, and he had to catch the boy from falling on a couple of occasions, but they made it across. Placing the young boy down, the child immediately grabbed his friend’s hand again. Sliding the tablet out again, John confirmed the route. It didn’t look too difficult, though they still had the other unknown obstacle to traverse. The children returned to their previous formation, the little girl slipping her hand back into John’s. Benjamin held onto the light, as John encouraged them forward. </p><p>The group passed down two corridors with ease. There was little damage in this part of the building which helped them to make good progress. There had been no more communication from Grandma, which John took as good news. She would be monitoring their progress with the help of EOS. John was certain it was his brothers keeping her busy, running into the riskier areas and in need of greater direction. He’d been in her position after all. One turn later and John spotted the large doors that led into a kitchen. He pulled up the route again as there were multiple rooms off kitchen area and he didn’t want to get it wrong. It was a large, long room and the door they required was almost all the way on the other side. They were almost halfway there when he noticed the light behind him had paused. Turning, he saw Benjamin and a girl looking at something, and a little annoyance rose within him. </p><p>“What is that?”</p><p>The girl swayed slightly as she spoke to Benjamin. It took John two steps to reach them. He was about to tell them to keep moving when he caught sight of the object out the corner of his eye. It was large, black and sitting under the shiny metal workbench. His heart stilled at the sight of the ominous lights that danced along it. The flashing red lights sped up and John’s eyes widened. His heart started to race and his grip on the small hand tightened. He spoke with a tone of authority, one that demanded the attention of every child. </p><p>“Follow me NOW.”</p><p>John swivelled as the hiss of gas became audible. He grabbed the arm of the boy who had been holding on to him and started towards the closest side door. He opened it and the children rushed in, fear on their faces. It slammed behind John as he scanned around the store cupboard. He headed to the back and promptly sat down against the furthest wall.</p><p>“Come here. Sit close to me.”</p><p>The children crowded around him, their bodies pressing into his. They were trembling and still settling when the loud bang resounded. The shelves shook and things fell down around them. A crash joined in the symphony as the children screamed and cried in John’s arms. He pulled them close, hoping he’d done enough. As the dust settled, the light cut through and revealed the large metal kitchen worktop that had caved in the wall at the other end of the cupboard and knocked over a shelving unit. Standing, he careful made his way over and inspected the mess. It had missed them but had cut off their only exit from the room. They were trapped and going to need Virgil to clear it. Retrieving the medical scanner, John ran it over each child again, as they sobbed around him. He was relieved when his tablet confirmed they had sustained no physical harm. Tapping his comm, he radioed his grandma. </p><p>“I have a situation.”</p><p>“What is it, John?”</p><p>“The gas explosions were pre-planned and deliberate. One just went off near us. We are all accounted for, no injuries, but we are trapped at our present location.”</p><p>“Understood, John. Hold tight. I’ll send Virgil over once he’s finished.”</p><p>“FAB.”</p><p>John sat down, cross-legged, before the children. Help was on the way. He just had to keep them calm and their minds off the situation. </p><p>“You have all been very brave and I am so proud of you, but I am going to need you to keep being brave for a little longer. My brothers are going to come and rescue us soon, but we have to wait here until then. We are going to get out of here. Everything is going to be okay.”</p><p>The little girl who had held his hand crawled over and sat in John’s lap. Her cheek rested against his chest. His hand moved to rub her shoulder. The two boys who refused to be separated moved to sit on one side and the boy who had held his baldric leant into the other side. They seemed to need the physical contact while the remaining two girls huddled around Benjamin and his light. </p><p>“Do you want to hear a story?”</p><p>The shadows cast by the light nodded with greater exaggeration than the heads that actually moved. John spoke softly to the children, telling them of a young man whose mother taught him to fly a plane, and how he would take off into the Kansas skies. He spoke of how the man had gone into the Air Force so he could pilot the fastest planes, only to see the advertisement for the space program on the locker room wall. The children were hooked, leaning in to listen to John’s words. They still fidgeted as their legs and bottoms went numb, but they were transfixed. Their unfortunate surroundings faded away as they heard of the trials the man had faced during his astronaut training, and of the many exciting trips to the moon. Where do you do after going to the moon? Mars, of course. John’s heart warmed and a smile crossed his face as he recounted the tale of that fateful first trip to Mars, and the struggles it had taken to get there. A gasp from a few of the children when he told them of the engine problems that had occurred, and that the man knew that there was a chance they wouldn’t make it safely to the surface. It was at that point that dust rained down and the rubble behind John shifted. Once focused eyes grew large and the girl in his forced herself closer to him as she whispered into his breastbone. </p><p>“What is that?”</p><p>“That is my brother, coming to rescue us.”</p><p>“Rescue us?”</p><p>“Yes, he has come to get us out of this cupboard.”</p><p>Sure enough, the metal table moved away with a clatter and light filled the space. John glanced over his shoulder as Virgil’s head popped through the hole. </p><p>“Everyone okay in there?”</p><p>“We are better for seeing you, Virgil.”</p><p>“Good to hear. I’ll just clear some more of this away, then we’ll have you out of there in no time.”</p><p>Just over five minutes late and John was passing the children through the hole to his brother. Once they were all through, John followed accepting Virgil’s guiding hand. Leading the children was easier with Virgil’s presence helping to reassure them. Two adults were better than one, and it wasn’t long until they exited the building into the blinding sun. They walked together to the control tent where they handed the children over to the awaiting local services. However, the little girl refused to release John’s hand. She beckoned him down, and John knelt to her level. Cupping her hand to his ear, she whispered her query.</p><p>“Did the astronaut make it to Mars?”</p><p>“Yes, he did.” John smiled, “and he made it all the way back to Earth and his family too.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>She let go and wrapped her arm around him in one last hug, before being led away by an attendant. </p><p>“Bye, bye.”</p><p>“Goodbye.”</p><p>He waved to her until she had disappeared from sight, feeling content knowing she and the others were now safe and would be reunited with their families.</p>
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